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A. WHITE 8v D. F. SULLIVAN. STOP MOTION POR OIROULAR KNITTING MACHINES.No. 604,344.

Patented May 17,1898.

WITNEEIEEE UNITED STATES PATENT @ENCEe ALBERT wIIITE AND DANIELY E.SULLIVAN, oE LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS; SAID SULLIVAN ASSIcNoR To MARYSULLIVAN, oF SAME PLAGE.

STOP-MOTION FOR CIRCULAR- KNl-*TTING MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 604,344, dated. May 17,1898. Application iled December 11, 1896. Serial No. 615,294. (Nomodel.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern;M Y. Y

Be it known that we, ALBERT WHITE and DANIEL F. SULLIVAN, of Lowell,county of Middlesex, State of Massachusetts, have made certain new anduseful Improvements in Stop- Motions for Circular-Knitting Machines, ofwhich the following is a description sufficiently full, clear, and exactto enable any person skilled in the art or science to which saidinvention appertains to make and use the same, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, inwhich- Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of acircular-knitting machine provided with our improvement; Fig. 2, a topplan view of the Same; Fig. 3, an elevation of the presserwheel andsupport, looking from the left of line 3 3 in Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a frontelevation of the same; Fig. 5, a sectional elevation illustrating theapplication of the electromagnet to the ordinary form of imperfection orhole stop mechanism;- Fig. 6, a sectional perspect-ive showing thepresser-wheel support and drop-wire-releasin g mechanism; Fig. 7, a planView illustrating details, and Fig. 8 an elevation looking from the topin Fig. 7.

Like letters and numerals of reference indi'- cate corresponding partsin the different iigures of the drawings.

Our invention relates especially to an improvement on stop-motionmechanism shown and described in our application for Letters Patent iledSeptember 17, 1896, Serial No. 606,121, the special object of thisimprove.- ment being to adapt an electrically-actuated mechanism and avertically-moving presserwheel to devices for Supporting the drop-wireof this class of stop-motions.

In the drawings, A represents the bed of the machine, C theneedle-cylinder, and D the hand-shipper, these parts being all `of theordinary form and arrangement, said shipper being pulled by a spring band stopped by a pin 33, hereinafter described.

The rotary presser-wheel B is mounted on a stud r loosely, said studbeing turned into a block 15, mounted on a horizontal spindle h andadjustable in relation to the cylinder by means of a star-box f. On thisblock and in position to engage the wheel and raise the same to theposition shown by dotted lines in j manner.

4 Fig. 4 there is a bar 16, in whicha pin 17,

(see Fig. 6,) playing in a socket of theblock 15, is fast. Around thispin is disposed a push-spring 18, tending to force the presserwheel Bupward on stud fr, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 4. A block 19 ispivoted on the block 15 at 97 to swing toward the needles, and at 2O insaid block 19, to swing at right angles thereto, is pivoted a support21, carrying the drop-wire 7L', which projects under the looper-supportL and rests on the thread passing through the thread-guide 22 in thesame manner as described in the lapplication referred to. This support2l carries also a blade 23, which is projected when the drop-Wirefallsinto the path ofiingers or projections 24 on the presser-wheel B. Suchcontact will rock the block 19 inward. This block 19 has a hook p, (seeFig. 6,) which overlaps a projection 25 on the bar 16and holds said baragainst the pressure of the spring 1S.

At the right in Fig. 2 we show a releasing mechanism in ordinary use.This comprises a vertically-swinging lever 30 on the bed, toggled at 3ltoa bell-crank-lever 32, pivoted to swing vertically on the bed. Theouter or free fend of the lever 30 depresses normally a spring-pushedpin 33, (see Fig. 5,) which resists the pull of the spring b onthehandshipper. Ahorizontally-swingingbell-crank lever 34 has a hook-arm35, (seeFig. 2,)which latches the upper end of the lever 32 and normallyresists the pressure on the pin 33. There is a rocking right-angle lever45, .mounted in suitable bearings and having one edge in rubbing contactwith the web in the usual A finger 46 on this lever is in position toengage with the bell-crank 34 and unlatch it from the lever 32, allowingthe free end of the rocking lever to be pushed up by pin 33, therebypermitting a hand-shipper D to operate in the usual manner.

Journaled transversely of the bed-there is a rock-shaft 60, having acrank-arm 61, to which is pivoted a rod 62, hooked at its free end 63 tooverlap the shipper D, so that as said shipper is moved said shaft maybe rocked. The shaft is also provided with a handle` 9S for resettingtheparts or engaging by hand the drop-wires with supports. A pivoted rod 65 connects the crank-arm 64 on the shaft 60 IOO with a similar crank-arm66 on a shaft 67, (indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2,) parallel withsaid iirst shaft. This shaft 67 leads to a succeeding feed on themachine.

For the purposes of this invention it is essential to describe only onefeed mechanism on the machine, of which there may be several, so we havedesignated the parts of the second or next succeeding feed mechanismcollectively by the reference character B2 in Fig. 2 but it will beunderstood that the stop mechanism operates simultaneously all of thefeeds.

Under the bed there is a storage battery K, connected to a Wire 100, andinsulated binding-post 70 on the machine-body. The end of this wire isnormally in electric contact with the shipper D when the machine is inmotion. An electromagnet P connects with one pole of the battery, andone arm of a bell-crank lever SO (see Fig. 5) forms the armature of thismagnet. The opposite arm 8l projects upwardly behind the inner end ofthe bell-crank 34, so that when said armature is attracted by the magnetsaid bellcrank 8O will operate tounlatch the lever 32 and release thehand-shipper. A wire S5 branches from the opposite pole of the batteryto each presser-mounting and is insulated from the machine-frame, a tipof said Wire (see Fig. 3) being exposed at S6 to engage thepresser-wheel B and close the circuit of the battery when said wheelshall be elevated, as hereinafter specified. The rod 65 is connectedwith one arm of the bell-crank 90, and on the opposite arm of saidbell-crank a rod 91 rests and projects through the bed A in position forits upper end to be engaged with the support 21 of the drop-wire h. Itwill be understood that this rod operates by means of connecting-shafts,as G7, a similarly vertically moving support for the drop-wire at eachof the feeds on the machine, and this action is simultaneous.

In the use of our invention when the shipper D is released by hand fromthe pin 33 it pulls the rod 62, rocking the shaft and causing the rod tooperate bell-crank 90 and throw stop pin or support 91 under thedrop-wire, sustaining said wire while the machine is at rest. Should athread break and vpermit the wire 7L to drop, the blade 23 will bethrown into the path of vthe fingers 24 on the rotating presser-wheel B,rocking the block 19 inward and releasing the bar 16. The spring 18 willnow at once act to throw said bar upward,and with it the presser-wheelB,which slides on its journal. This upward movement of the presserengages it with the exposed end 86 of the insulated wire 85 and closesthe electric circuit through the frame. The magnet P is thereby charged,attracting the armature-arm of the bell-crank 80. This operates to throwout the latch 35, releasing thelever 32 and permitting the spring-pushedpin 33 to throw upward, thereby freeing the hand-shipper D. The springZ) immediately acts to operate said lever and rock-shaft GO, withresultant placing of the supports 91 under the drop-Wires by the upwardmovement of the horizontal arm of bell-crank 90 in the same manner aswas described for the hand movement of said shipper. It will beunderstood that any rocking of the right-angle lever 35 whenencountering an imperfect-ion in the web will result in a likesupporting of the drop-wires. Itwillbeunderstoodthatassoon as theshipper is moved out of contact with end of wire 100 by this operationthe circuit is broken and the batteries thus prevented from runningdown.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is*- l. In aknitting-machine stop-motion, a drop-wire and a support therefor, incombination with mechanism for automatically engaging the support withsaid wire and mechanism for disengaging the drop-wire support from saiddrop-wire by hand substantially as described.

2. In a stop-motion for a circular-knitting machine a vertically-movablerotary presserwheel and mechanism for moving the same vertically incombination with a locking mechanism therefor and releasing devicescomprising a drop-Wire; and mechanism comprising an electrical circuitclosed by the movement of said wheel for projecting a support under saidwire.

3. In a stop-motion for circular-knitting machines a rotarypresser-wheel mounted on a support 16 in combination with a lockingmechanism therefor and releasing mechanism comprising a drop-wire andmechanism for projecting a supportvunder said drop-wire, comprising anelectrical circuit closed by the movement of the presser.

4. In a stop-motion for circular-knitting machines a presser mounted ona support 1G in combination with a locking mechanism therefor andreleasing mechanism comprising a drop-wire; a shipper;electrically-actuated mechanism started by a movement of said presserfor releasing said shipper; and mechanism operated by the movement ofsaid shipper for projectinga support under said dropwire.

5. In a stop-motion for circular-knitting machines a vertically-movablerotary-presser and mechanism for moving the same vertically; an electriccircuit; a magnet in said circuit; a presser locking mechanism andreleasing devices therefor comprising a dropwire; a hand-shipper;locking mechanism therefor released by said magnet; and a mech- IOO IIO

anism for projecting a support under said` drop-wire, all being combinedand arranged to operate substantially as specified.

ALBERT l/VHITE. DANIEL F. SULLIVAN.

Witnesses:

O. M. SHAW, T. M. SHUTE.

